Crown Princess

Danny says Crown has an enormous amount of sun deck space, with loungers wrapping the Deck 16 pool area, a bandstand for sailaway music and the Tradewinds Bar. The Neptune Pool in the center is a good size for laps, and just aft, the deeper Calypso Reef Pool sits beneath the giant Movies Under the Stars screen, a concept Princess pioneered. Nearby, the Salty Dog Grill, Slice Pizza and Coffee & Cones keep snacks close.

The Sanctuary is an adults-only retreat at the front of the ship, reserved for an added fee. Loungers wrap around the bow for forward-facing ocean views, each with its own cocktail table, and the crew brings food and drinks right to you. On scenic days, like Alaska glacier days, the amenities step up. Two open-air spa areas here can be booked for treatments. Close by, wrapped around the spa and fitness center, sits the quieter Lotus Pool.

The Horizon Court and Calypso Cafe together make up the buffet, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily on a rotating menu. Mornings bring egg stations, French toast and pancakes. Later, look for carved roast beef, international dishes including Indian options, a salad bar, fruit and desserts. A complimentary beverage station pours drip coffee, iced tea and lemonade. Overflow seating spills outside by Movies Under the Stars, and the Terrace Pool and bar sit just aft.

Sabatini's is the most popular specialty restaurant on board, open nightly for dinner for an added cost, with an extensive Italian menu of pastas, meat dishes and favorites like burrata caprese. Seating runs from window tables for two to booths and larger tables that can be joined for groups. In the morning, suite guests enjoy an upgraded breakfast here. Right next door, Adagio is a large, open lounge with a piano in the corner and a bar tucked to one side.

Skywalkers is the ship's disco, set high up at the aft end of the ship, and Danny has spent plenty of fun nights on its dance floor. After dark, the DJ booth, lighting effects and sound system take over, with bar-style seating wrapped around the floor. By day, booths for two and four, window nooks and TVs make it a quiet hideaway for sporting events, the occasional movie or simply watching the scenery go by in scenic areas.

Camp Discovery runs programming for ages 3 to 17, and Danny says it has one of the largest amounts of kids club space any cruise line dedicates to families. The Treehouse (3 to 7) has a climbing treehouse with a slide, a movie corner, a jungle gym, crafts and an outdoor area with bikes and trikes. The Lodge (8 to 12) adds video games, art and science stations, a library and skee-ball. Teens get the Beach House, with Xbox Kinect, foosball and ping pong.

The Lotus Spa offers massages from hot stone to bamboo and deep tissue, plus facials, wraps, acupuncture and med-spa treatments, along with a full salon. Treatments begin in a relaxation room with infused waters and tea. The Thermal Suite, sold by the day or for the whole cruise, adds heated stone loungers, tropical rain and fog showers, a mild steam room, a sauna and an aromatherapy room. Up front, the fitness center's treadmills face the ocean.

Danny calls Crown Grill a true, unapologetic steakhouse. It's all about the steak, with appetizers, soups, salads and seafood options too, for an added cost. Tables for two and four plus booth seating fill the room, and the open kitchen lets the smells of the grill spill into the restaurant as soon as you walk in. Like Sabatini's, it's very large by Princess standards, so a table is easier to get here than on some other ships.